Drinking fountain



Oct. 24, 1939. H. s. STEEN I DRINKING FOUNTAIN Filed Oct. l5, 1938 Patented Oct. 24, 1939 PATENT OFFICE DRINKING FOUNTAIN Harry S Steen, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The (Chicago Faucet Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application October 15, 1938, Serial No. 235,202

1 Claim.

'I'his invention relates to improvements in drinking fountains and more especially a sanitary drinking fountain for humans. The invention may be used to advantage in a fountain adapted to deliver an angle stream.

Among the features of my invention is the provision of means to prevent changes in pressure and especially excess pressures from causing the stream to be too forceful. As is well known, in

1,0v angle stream fountains there ordinarily is a bowl or basin for catching the stream. Heretofore vtrouble has been encountered in Aconnection with fountains of this sort where the Water pressure has been-too great. In such fountains excess pressure has usually caused the stream to issue with such force that it would not fall in the bowl. This not only made the stream so high that it interfered with the drinking but also caused annoyance and injury because of the escaping water. By the use of my invention the stream is controlled so that excess pressures do not materially affect it,

Another feature of my invention is the provision of new stream forming means. In stream fountains, space is frequently limited so that the nozzle must be made somewhat short. With a short nozzle, difficulty frequently has been encountered in forming a solid stream that would facilitate drinking. It is obvious that a rather large stream or any relatively large amount of spray or the like seriously interferes with drinking. The stream should be as small and solid as possible to make it easy to drink.

Another feature of my invention is the provision of the automatic flow control means mentioned above in combination with a volume control. With the combination of these two features the stream can be set in advance to the desired height and thereafter the automatic pressure control will maintain the stream substantially uniform regardless of changes in pressure. The automatic means also function so rapidly that even if an excess pressure is turned on suddenly, the stream will not exceed the height for which it is set.

Other features and advantages will appear more fully as I proceed with my specification.

In that form of device embodying the features of my invention, shown in the accompanying drawing-Fig. 1 is a View in front elevation; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the nozzle.

In the drawing I have sho-wn merely the fountain head itself since the ordinary bowl or basin in connection with which the head is usually mounted is old in the art and need not be shown. Also, it is not necessary to show the water supply or the usual manual control for the water that ordinarily is supplied With drinking fountains unless it is desired that they flow continuously. 5

As shown in the drawing, the drinking fountain comprises a substantially cylindrical body member I0 with the usual curved guard at the top thereof. I2 indicates the water inlet to the fountain head. Inside of the body member or 10 head I0 is an inlet chamber I3 communicating directly with the inlet I2, and an outlet chamber I4 separated from the inlet chamber by the wall I5.

'Ihe outlet chamber I4 has its outer portion 15 enlarged as indicated by Illa. The outer side of the outlet chamber is closed by the diaphragm I8 held in place by the cap I'I, the edge Ila of which holds the diaphragm against the shoulder I9. 20

In the wall l5 is a piston valve controlled by the diaphragm sothat the pressure in the outlet chamber I4 will operate the valve to maintain the pressure in such chambers substantially constant. In this way the valve operates as a pres- 25 sure reducing valve. The diaphragm |8 has spring pressure exerted against it on the outside by the spiral spring 20 pressing against the pressure plate 2| mounted on the shaft 22. The outer end of the spring bears against an adjusting nut 23 30 threaded in the cap so that the spring pressure may be adjusted. 24 is a cap for the outside of the screw-threaded hole in which the spring pressure adjusting nut 23 operates.

25 indicates a cylinder or sleeve threaded in 35 the wall I5, the outer end of which is provided with ports 26. The end of the shaft 22 carries the piston 21 operating in conjunction with the ports 26 to control the flow of water from the inlet chamber I3 to the outlet chamber I4. 28 indi- 40 cates a collar on the shaft 22 on the opposite side of the diaphragm I8 from the threaded pressure plate 2| so that the diaphragm is clamped between the members 2| and 28.

In operation the tension of the spring 28 is 45 adjusted by means of the nut 23 so that the desired pressure will be maintained in the chamber I4. Thereafter, any excess pressure in such chamber will move the diaphragm outwardly against the pressure of the spring 20 to cause the 50 piston 21 to restrict the ports 26 so that the flow is restricted until equilibrium is maintained. By this construction it will be seen that the pressure in the outlet chamber I4 will be held substantially constant. 55

29 is a conduit connecting with the outlet chamber I4, th'e outlet of which is controlled by the volume control needle valve 30. After leaving the conduit 29 and passing the volume control valve, the water enters the outlet conduit 3l, the outer end of which is enlarged to receive the sleeve or nozzle 32. l Inside of the nozzle tube 32 is a stream forming member 33 in the shape of a cap with four outlet apertures 34 in the side, the top l35 of said cap forming a baille. The upper surface 35a of the top 35 of the cap is domeshaped or parabola shaped. The outer end of the nozzle tube 32 is restricted in diameter as indicated by 32a to form the interior shoulder 36. The baille 35 serves to form or solidify the stream into the desired single stream relatively free from spray.

3l indicates a vent hole in the chamber 38 out' side of the diaphragm I8 preventing this chamber from being air-bound and thus permitting the diaphragm to move freely so that the piston 21 connected thereto can move with quick effect in the valve tube 25.

The diaphragm I3 controlling the piston 21 in conjunction with the ports 25 operates as a stabilizer so thatthe stream from the fountain will be relatively constant regardless of changes in pressure. It has been found, however, that such a stabilizer or pressure reducing valve alone is not sufcient and consequently one of the principal features of my invention is the combination with such a stabilizer of a volume control such as the needle valve 35 controlling the flow through the conduit 29 which directly connects the nozzle outlet with the outlet chamber I4. The volume control imposes a back pressure on the diaphragm that increases its range.

While there are shown and described certain embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claim, in which it is intended to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A drinking fountain head, including: a'compact unitary body having an inlet at the bottom; inlet and outlet chambers side by side above the inlet; a passage in the body connecting the inlet with the inlet chamber; a vertical wall between the inlet and outlet chambers; a valve controlled passage through said Wall; pressure responsive means in the outlet chamber controlling said valve to regulate the Yilow of Water therethrough in accordance with the pressure in the outlet chamber; an outlet at the top of said body; a substantially vertical passage leading downwardly in said body from said outlet; a substantially horizontal passage in said body connecting the lower end of said ksubstantially vertical passage With the outlet chamber; and stream forming means in the substantially vertical passage in the body leading downwardly from the outlet.

HARRY s. STEEN. 

